Best ways to save money

[Natasha]

...is not spend it? Let's talk about minimalism, and how far is too far.

[whatishappeningtome]

Setting a budget and tracking what you are spending.

[Michal__]

Spend it on things that create more money.

Doesn't have to be stocks or the other classic investments, it can be marketing for your life purpose.

Frugalism is a nice tool, but it should be temporary in my opinion, or at least combined with something else.

[Vibroverse]

It depends on where you are regarding the idea of money. First of all, remember that like everything else money also is an idea, a thought. So, what are your thoughts about money? Notice what they are. 

[BartekD]

Budget is #1 

If you're in debt id recommend dave Ramsey's baby steps 

If you want to retire early look into FIRE movement

Basically depends on the goal - you should have financial goals otherwise the money will dry up 

[Preety_India]

 

My ideas although I'm not a good saver

• Spend less on clothes. 
• Recycle Clothing 
• Eat healthy. But not expensive. Buy organic at low rates
• Buy good quality kitchen vessels that last a long time so you don't have to constantly replace them 
• Save on fuel when you can walk to a store 
• Don't buy jewelry. It's useless and buy imitation for some occasion 
• I've a pair of gold earrings for life and that's it no more pieces 
• I have only 2 handbags, one small for regular and 2 big if I need to carry more stuff 
• I have 3 pair of shoes. No more. They are for different purposes 
• I don't get any food from restaurants, only occasionally. Invest in home food. Use the kitchen 
• Buy high quality good comfort clothing that can be worn in all seasons throughout the year. My mom spends a ton on clothing. I don't do that. I learned from her mistakes 
• I switch off the light when not in use and let sunlight in in the morning. This saves my electric bill 
• I only use how much water I want. This saves my shower or water bill. 
• Don't buy stuff that you're never going to use 
• If I need like pen holder box, I use my ceramic mug. I use daily items instead of bringing new ones.
• I use plastic throwaway takeaway containers to hold cut or chopped veggies. 
• I try to keep things organized so I don't have to rush to buy anything 

 

 

[Natasha]

@Vibroverse To me money is energy/mindset. You can have a lot of it and still feel like it's never enough, or you can have little and feel grateful and content.  

My son is going off to a tech school, so it's just going to be me, so I want to focus on saving up. I do have a full time job with good pay. I've been exploring minimalism in different areas of life - shelter, food, clothing, digital, etc.

[Preety_India]

@Natasha did you like my tips girl? I'll collect more as I learn and help you as I can. 

 

[Natasha]

@BartekD I have no debt and I do budget. I'll look into the FIRE movement.

[Preety_India]

@Natasha also don't invest in iPhones. They're a rip off. 

Better phones from Alcatel and other companies. 

 

[Vibroverse]

Everything you want is ready for you. Follow your path of least resistance. 

[Natasha]

@Preety_India Yes, I already do all the things you've listed  I have no shopping addictions and prefer simple life style. The only times I would splurge are on experiences, like during vacations. I do have hobbies, but they are super inexpensive.

[Preety_India]

Just now, Natasha said:

@Preety_India Yes, I already do all the things you've listed  I have no shopping addictions and prefer simple life style. The only times I would splurge are on experiences, like during vacations. My do have hobbies, but they are super inexpensive.

Awesome. 

But then there's only so much you can do to save money if you're already living a minimalist lifestyle. 

[Natasha]

6 minutes ago, Preety_India said:

@Natasha also don't invest in iPhones. They're a rip off. 

Better phones from Alcatel and other companies. 

 

No iPhones here. I don't need any fancy stuff, just practical with basic functions. 

[Preety_India]

@Natasha ikr. Me too. 

[meow_meow]

11 minutes ago, Preety_India said:

Alcatel

Oh hell no. I had one of those back in the day - it was the worst phone I've ever had, even tho I'm fine with my 5,5 year old samsung A50, IMO it's worth buying an average smart phone that'll last longer. Not iPhones for 1k euros, ofc and not ultra cheap end alcatels.

[Preety_India]

@meow_meow or get Huawei. 

 

[Natasha]

@Michal__ Yes, Id like to focus on doing that more. Been selling my art, but not nearly enough. I have a backlog of orders that I'm working on this year, now that I'll have less responsibities and more free time to do it.

[LastThursday]

I know that cash is going the way of the dodo. But the best advice I ever had was to pay for as many things as possible with hard cash. Have a weekly cash allowance that you take out just once on the same day, and use that as much as possible. Avoid using cards. The idea is that it stops impulse buying on small items. Any cash left over at the end of the week, should be topped up to the allowance amount - not rolled over!

The other thing is to buy quality items and then keep them for as long as humanly possible before replacing. If they break and they're fixable then fix them.

Don't buy mobile phones on contract, buy the handset and then get a cheap and realistic deal for minutes and texts. In fact, try and avoid anything which involves recurring cost. Keep all recurring costs to an absolute minimum. Gym membership you hardly use, then bin it. Accounts for all those streaming media services you only watch once in a blue moon, bin it. It's more economic to pay for one off use sometimes.

 

Edited January 24, 2021 by LastThursday

[WonderSeeker]

@Natasha In the long term I'd say you can save a great deal by setting aside money for investment and putting it all into self-help courses now which transform your physical and mental health to such a degree that you can't help but make high-awareness money decisions in the future. Spend now and save later is my philosophy at the moment; I'll let you know how it's working in 5-10 years !